Hadith of the Night Journey and AscensionAl-Isra' wa Mi'raj

It is narrated on the authority
of Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be
upon him, said:

I was brought al-buraq who is an
animal white and long, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, who
would place its hoof at a distance equal to the range of vision. I mounted
it and came to Bait-al Maqdis (Jerusalem). I then tethered it to the ring
used by the prophets. I entered the area of the Mosque and prayed two
rak'at in it. I then came out and Gabriel brought me a vessel of wine
and a vessel of milk. I chose the milk, and Gabriel said, 'You have chosen
al-fitra, the natural way'.
He then ascended with me into the lower heavens and requested that they
be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It was
then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said:
'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been
sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Adam. He
welcomed me and prayed for my well-being.
Then we ascended to the second heaven and Gabriel requested that it be
opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel. It was then
said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said: 'Has
revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been sent
to him'. It was then opened for us and when I entered Jesus and John welcomed
me and prayed for my well-being.
Gabriel then ascended with me to the third heaven and requested that it
be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It was
then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said:
'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been
sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Joseph, who
was given a great portion of beauty. He welcomed me and prayed for my
well-being.
Gabriel then ascended with me to the fourth heaven and requested that
it be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It
was then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then
said: 'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has
been sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Enoch.
He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being.
Gabriel then ascended with me to the fifth heaven and requested that it
be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It was
then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said:
'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been
sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Aaron. He
welcomed me and prayed for my well-being.
Gabriel then ascended with me to the sixth heaven and requested that it
be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It was
then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then said:
'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has been
sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Moses. He
welcomed me and prayed for my well-being.
Gabriel then ascended with me to the seventh heaven and requested that
it be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He responded: 'Gabriel'. It
was then said: 'Who is with you?' He responded: 'Muhammad'. It was then
said: 'Has revelation been sent to him?' He responded: 'Revelation has
been sent to him'. It was then opened for us and there I was with Abraham
who was leaning against the bayt al-ma`mur into which enter seventy thousand
angels each day never to return.
Then I was brought to the sidrat al-muntaha, the Lote Tree of the Furthest
Limit, whose leaves were like the ears of an elephant and whose fruits
at first appeared insignificant. But when Allah spread His command over
them they transformed to the point where no one in creation could describe
their beauty. Then Allah revealed what He revealed to me. He then made
obligatory for me fifty prayers every night and day.
I began my descent until I reached Moses who asked me: 'What has your
Lord made obligatory for your community?' I said to him, 'Fifty prayers.'
He then said, 'Return to your Lord and ask Him to reduce them, your community
will not be able to bear that. I know the people of Israel from long experience
and I have tested them.' I then returned to my Lord and said, 'O Lord,
make things lighter for my people'. He then reduced it by five prayers
for me. I then returned to Moses and he said to me, 'Your community will
not be able to stand that. So return and ask Him to make things lighter.'
I kept going between my Lord and Moses until Allah said, 'O Muhammad,
there are five prayers every night and day. Each prayer is equal to ten
prayers making them equal to fifty prayers. Whoever intends a good deed
and does not do it, there will be written for him a single good deed.
If he does it then there will be written for him ten good deeds. Whoever
intends an evil deed and does not do it then there is nothing written
against him. If he does it then there is written for him one evil deed.'
I then descended until I reached Moses and informed him of what had occurred.
He then said to me, 'Return to your Lord and ask Him to make things lighter.'
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace then said,
'I have returned to my Lord until I felt ashamed before Him."